School Leaders & Police Get Lesson On School Safety
A nationally-renowned expert on school shootings on Thursday instructed a group of 80 police officers, school administrators and resource officers and mental health professionals in Morris County on how to build an evidence-based program to assess threats to school safety.
By terrible coincidence, former United States Secret Service Chief Research Psychologist Dr. Marisa R. Randazzo was training the group as part of the Morris County Sheriff’s Office’s RSVP-3 Program when shots were fired at Saugus High School in Santa Clarita, Calif., allegedly by a 16-year-old student – killing two students and wounding at least three others.
RSVP-3, which stands for Responsible School Violence Prevention, Preparation, Protection, was launched in 2018 by Morris County Sheriff James M. Gannon and the Morris County Chiefs of Police Association shortly after the February 14, 2018, school shootings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla.
With funding from the Morris County Board of Freeholders and the federal Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI), the Morris County Sheriff’s Office in 2018 hired Randazzo’s, SIGMA Threat Management Associates, to prepare an evidence-based behavioral threat assessment and management (BTAM) guide on how to identify, assess and manage threatening or seriously-disruptive behaviors in the school setting.
Randazzo, who has helped train about 350 school leaders, resource and police officers and mental health professionals on BTAM in the past year through the RSVP-3 program, spent a full day Thursday, Nov. 14, instructing the group how to conduct a threat investigation, divert an individual from his or her “pathway to violence,” and assist in creating school environments where students are free from bullying and feel comfortable confiding in school officials about threatening behavior exhibited by others.
Thursday’s RSVP-3 training – ongoing since November 2018 – also occurred on the heels of last week’s release of a U.S. Secret Service Analysis of Targeted School Violence. The Secret Service report, which analyzed 41 incidents of targeted school violence that occurred in schools from 2008 to 2017, contained several conclusions that already are incorporated into the RSVP-3 training program.
The conclusions advised: the attackers in all 41 violent school incidents exhibited concerning behaviors; most, in a concept known as leakage, communicated their intent to attack in some way; and students, school personnel and family members should be urged to report troubling or concerning behaviors.
Randazzo led the group through the BTAM process which involves identifying a subject whose behavior has caused concern, investigating and gathering relevant information about the subject in an ethical manner, assessing the situation based on the totality of the information, and managing the threat through intervention, supervision, or a monitoring plan designed to prevent further harm and mitigate the situation.
Randazzo said she believes many school shootings can be prevented, as did Gannon, whose RSVP-3 program is multi-pronged to include the BTAM curriculum, an RSVP-3 anonymous tip-reporting app unveiled in October 2019, and tactical training for law enforcement officers. RSVP-3, he said, is enhanced by his creation of a threat and intelligence-gathering unit called Morris County Sheriff’s Trends and Analysis Team (MCSTAT).
“These incidences are highly preventable through a fairly simple process where you get people to share concerns – when they see that report on social media, when a teacher sees something in a homework assignment that raises fear or concern about a student’s mental health or emotional well-being,” Randazzo said. “Bring that information forth to a threat assessment team, have them take a look, find out what else is going on.
“If we think that student is on what we call a pathway to violence, we can do some simple things to get them off the pathway to violence and prevent harm,” she said.
Gannon said the ultimate goals are to avoid tactical responses, and “be left of bang” by thwarting violent plans before they solidify.
Gannon added that through early intervention, troubled youths can be steered to mental health professionals and hopefully, be returned to school.
“Our mission should be, with students especially, to return them to chemistry class,” said Gannon. “Return them to the football field. We’re not here to be punitive.”
Randazzo’s training was interspersed with national examples of how actual plotted school attacks were thwarted, including one in which a young girl reported to the school principal a friend’s plan to bomb a school, though she felt heartsick at betraying a troubled companion.
Randazzo emphasized the need for a multi-disciplinary approach to building a BTAM team so it includes an array of people bringing information and perspectives to an assessment. She also noted the importance of students – and other concerned parties – having a mechanism or trusted school personnel to whom they can report threats or disturbing behavior.
“It’s a way of making sure people know they have the power” to help control safety in their schools, she said.
Thursday’s session was attended by law enforcement officers, school employees, school resource officers and mental health professionals from throughout Morris County, as well as Bergen and Union counties.
Warm Clothing, Toiletries Sought For Homeless Relief Mission
Temple Shalom Senior Youth Group will be doing a Midnight Run on Saturday, Nov. 16. Midnight Run (www.midnightrun.org) coordinates more than 1,000 relief missions per year, where food, clothing and personal care items are distributed to the homeless poor on the street of NYC.
Local teens Katelyn and Ryan Melendez are collecting donations for their youth group’s run Saturday night. Items needed include:
Adult large or bigger pants, jeans, coats, jackets, sweatshirts, sweatpants, socks, boots and sneakers size 10 or larger, hats, gloves and scarfs.
Toiletries such as soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, razors, shaving cream, deodorants, shampoo, lotion and combs.
Donations can be left in the crate on the front porch of 30 Clover Hill Dr., Flanders, through Friday, Nov. 15. Questions about donating, email randconn2002@yahoo.com.
Library Events Covered This Fall Like Leaves
“Movies at the Library” will be offered on Tuesday, Nov. 19 at either 1 p.m.-3 p.m. or 6 p.m.-8 p.m. for the movie “Red Joan,” inspired by an extraordinary true story about one of the most influential spies in living history. The movie brings to life the conflicts between patriotism and idealism, love and duty, courage and betrayal. Rated R - Restricted: No one under the age of 17 admitted!
Interested in learning to speak Spanish? Join Dr. Paul Reilly for a 10 week class, which will emphasize spoken conversational Spanish in travel situations as a tourist.
Classes are set for Thursdays through Nov. 21, from 6:30 p.m.-8 p.m. in the Career Room. If someone misses more than two classes, they will forfeit their space. Limited to 10 adults.
Registration required for all programs. Call 973-691-8686 Ext. 106 or go to www.mopl.org to register.
Library Warms Patrons With Music, Movies & More
“Baby, it’s Cold Outside”…..Come warm up at Mt. Olive Public Library on Wednesday, Dec. 4, at 7 p.m. in the Gathering Room. Get into the holiday spirit and be entertained by the Florian Schantz Jazz Combo with Holiday Music with mixed Christmas, Hanukkah and winter-themed songs. Registration requested.
“Be Calm and Create a Masterpiece”…..“Painting with Dorothy” is set for Saturday, Dec. 7, from 10:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Come join in for a fun day of creativity and learning. Make great art and paint like the masters!! Registration is required; limited to 12 adults.
“Movies at the Library”….. Join in on Tuesday, Dec. 10 at either 1 p.m.-3:15 p.m. or 6 p.m.-8:15 p.m. for the movie “Where’d You Go, Bernadette?”, based upon the novel of the same name by Maria Semple. When Bernadette suddenly disappears without a trace, her concerned family sets off on an exciting adventure to solve the mystery of where she might have gone. Registration requested.
Live Your Best Life with Essential Oils….. a workshop titled, “Essential Oils 101 (Make & Take Diffuser Bracelet)” is set for Saturday, Dec. 14, from 9:30 a.m.-11 a.m. Come join Perri O’Flynn for this fun essential oils project; the bracelet can be used as a diffuser on the go, to take oils anywhere and use them for any situation. Also, learn the benefits of using essential oils in daily life. Registration is required; limited to 10 adults.
For all programs, call 973-691-8686 Ext. 106 or go to www.mopl.org to register.
Art Returns To County Government Buildings
The Morris County Board of Freeholders, the State Judiciary and nonprofit Morris Arts have negotiated an agreement that would allow for the return of artwork to the halls of the county government headquarters in Morristown starting in 2020.
After numerous meetings on the subject of the display of art in the County Administration and Records Building, a practice that ceased at the end of 2018, a memorandum of understanding, specific guidelines, and an artist’s waiver were developed.
The Board of Freeholders approved a resolution on Wednesday, Nov. 13, directing the Freeholder Director to sign a memorandum of understanding to allow art to return to the county building.
A separate agreement next would be executed between the county and Morris Arts for oversight of the exhibits within very specific guidelines that have been developed in concert with the judiciary.
“We know that many county residents voiced concerns about the elimination of the annual art shows, especially student art,’’ said Freeholder Director Doug Cabana. “We heard your voices, worked to restore this building as a venue for art, and look forward to having the halls filled again with artwork again next year.’’
In recent years, due to space limitations in the Morris County Courthouse, the judiciary gradually has occupied more space in the five-story County Administration & Records Building. It now officially considers the building to be a courthouse, with offices and courtrooms on three of the five floors and the Prosecutor’s Office on a fourth floor.
As a result, artwork in the building must meet judiciary standards that are essential to “fair, impartial and neutral functioning of the courts.’’ As part of the new agreement, artwork will be screened to ensure it does not violate the judiciary’s core values of independence, integrity, fairness and quality service.
As curator, Morris Arts has agreed to follow the guidelines created as part of the new agreement. According to the agreement, “the purpose of the guidelines is to allow for the exhibition of works of art by artists in a welcoming, comfortable, and inclusive environment.’’
Firm Hired To Design County Courthouse Expansion
The Morris County Board of Freeholders has unanimously approved the hiring of a major Clifton-based infrastructure firm, AECOM, to design an estimated $62 million Morris County Courthouse expansion.
Representatives of the firm planned to meet with the county governing board to discuss the project at an open-to-the-public work session on Nov. 13, at 4:30 p.m., at the County Administration and Records Building in Morristown.
The board voted at its Oct. 23 public meeting to award the $3.9 million design contract to AECOM, which has extensive experience in designing judicial facilities.
In moving ahead with the design, the freeholders significantly reduced the initial cost of the estimated $106 million overall project by modifying the scope and breaking it into phases, so the county only will have appropriate $62 million for the first phase or construction phase of the new building when work begins in a few years.
“We intend to keep close watch on the spending for this project and to make every effort to keep down costs for county taxpayers,” said Freeholder John Krickus. “As part of that effort, we already have saved $1 million in architectural fees and millions in interest by reducing the scope of the project and by tapping into the county’s top-ranked Triple A bond rating.”
That bond rating, he noted, ranks better than that of the federal government.
The county’s contract with AECOM calls for the design of a secure criminal court facility with eight courtrooms and modern court space that would be attached to the County Administration and Records Building in Morristown.
The new building, to include environmental/energy efficiency in building design, would be located on the site of a county open-air parking lot off Schuyler Place. It would not require taking any property off the Morristown tax rolls and would not have any adverse impact on the historic, original portion of the county courthouse.
The hiring of AECOM was recommended to the full Freeholder Board after a thorough review by a special Courthouse Design Evaluation Committee, which included Freeholders Tom Mastrangelo, John Krickus, and Stephen Shaw, and County Administrator John Bonanni and Assistant Administrator Deena Leary, with technical assistance from the county’s engineering staff.
“We looked at the needs of the county and court system, not the wants of the system, in moving to the next step of a viable and realistic courthouse expansion that will handle the legal needs of the county for the next several decades,” said Freeholder Stephen Shaw.
“Another benefit of this project will be to provide quality court facilities that will maintain Morris County’s standing as the judicial hub of North Jersey,” said Freeholder Tom Mastrangelo. “That benefits county residents, the legal community, and our local businesses in Morristown, which is the Morris County Seat.”
Krickus stressed that the new design would not require costly removal and replacement of the Morris County Tourism Bureau and the Deidre’s House facility for young victims of abuse and neglect, both of which are located on Court Street in Morristown, adjacent to the site of the new criminal courts.
Project Background
Providing adequate court facilities and securing those facilities are the sole responsibility of each respective county in N.J. To assess those needs, a previous Freeholder Board in 2017 commissioned a Space Needs and Facilities Assessment pertaining to the judiciary and county government.
That assessment, completed in 2018, identified a significant shortfall in criminal, family and civil court facilities, and detailed the outdated conditions in the existing courthouse complex. The recommendation of the report was to construct a new criminal courthouse.
In anticipation of the need for a courthouse project, the Freeholder Board in late 2018, by a unanimous vote following a public hearing process, adopted two capital ordinances to fund the design.
The Board of Freeholders, in agreeing to move forward with the process, focused on balancing the obvious needs of the court system with the financial concerns of county taxpayers in mind in seeking an acceptable option- one that is in the lower end of the cost range.
A decision to seek a design firm came after a coordinated and thorough review process of the entire project by a team that included the county government administration, freeholders, the judiciary, and the Sheriff’s Office.
The process included extensive meetings, site tours, and consideration of numerous alternatives, with a focus on public safety security, accessibility and functionality, and the potential for future expansion, should the need arise.
The freeholders in June, at a public meeting, scrutinized the Space Needs and Facilities Assessment with representatives of their consulting firm, Dewberry, to assess potential alternatives and the potential cost of the project.
In July, the freeholders unanimously approved a request for proposals to seek professional engineering services for the preliminary and final designs of a Morris County Courthouse expansion.
The Courthouse Design Proposal Review Steering Committee evaluated and ranked each of the design project proposals before making a unanimous final decision and a unanimous recommendation to the full freeholder board on Oct. 23.
For more information, visit https://morriscountynj.gov/ and https://morriscountynj.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/SpaceStudy-Final.pdf
Over the past year, officials from the Morris County courts, law enforcement, engineering and public safety have made presentations on the courthouse issue. View the presentation at https://morriscountynj.gov/courthouse2019/